Looks like Matheny is channeling his inner Genius.
Please tell me Berkman isn't hurt ...

Holliday's bat and a speedy Furcal get us on the board early.

I dunno about Beltran, folks.

Lance Lynn was super out there today.....

tkihshbt wrote:

MLB is going to overturn Braun being picked off at first.

You've been waiting all weekend to drop that one, haven't you?

The Cubs are going to be even more entertaining than we suspected. After watching Wood and Marmol cough up fur balls the last two games, Sveum leaves Smardzjian in waaay too long today. Still, he would have gotten a complete game if Castro doesn't commit an error, and then LRoche goes deep to pull the game within one run.
Sveum has to bring in Marmol, who walks the first guy he faces to put the tying run on base before he gets Nady to popout to end the game.
Even when the Cubs win, they suck.

Herpes Boy goes deep to make it 9-3. I hope that one isn't taken into account in this year's MVP balloting.

A few thoughts about this weekend/team:

- I wonder if Milwaukee actually had a ceremony to unveil that "Central Division Champion" banner. If so, how ironic that they do so with the "World Champion" Cardinals in attendance.

- It's only 4 games into the season, but I like the personality of this team. They seem very workman-like, but they also seem to be having fun. I like what I see.

- Beltran reminds me of Berkman. I didn't appreciate how good a ballplayer Berkman was until last season when I watched him regularly. Four games in, I'm seeing a lot of the same qualities in Beltran.

- There's a lot of unknowns on the bench, but when Craig comes back, I think the bench can be a strength.

- Lynn was impressive today. Whoever made the decision to go with Lynn over McClellan made the right call. At his best, I never remember McClellan looking as good as Lynn looked today.

- Furcal might be the most important player on the team. He's been great after an awful spring. When you consider the drop-off between Furcal and his likely replacement, he might be the guy they can least afford to have get hurt.

- David Freese just knows how to drive in runs.

- The difference in the quality of defense on this team compared to last year's team could save them 50 runs over the course of the season.

- The bullpen could be a concern. McClellan, Marte and Romero are concerns. They should have non-tendered McClellan and picked up Dotel's option.

- 3-1, all on the road, and headed for three against TTTIB. So far, so good.

"- I wonder if Milwaukee actually had a ceremony to unveil that "Central Division Champion" banner. If so, how ironic that they do so with the "World Champion" Cardinals in attendance."

I wonder what Ron Roenicke is going to find to bitch about after this series. Probably that a couple of the Cardinals couldn't contain their laughter in the dugout when the Brewers raised their stupid banner.

forsberg_us wrote:

Was it Roenicke or Melvin who complained that the Cardinals had an unfair advantage in September because they could afford to call up more players than the Brewers?

The Brewers started their choice of pitchers while the Cardinals were without Carpenter. Both teams were limited to 25 players. Yet somehow the Cardinals handed Milwaukee their dicks in 2 of the 3 games.

I wasn't home Saturday, so I didn't see the game, but I didn't notice a whole lot of "Beast mode" on Friday or Sunday.

The Beast Mode thing was started by Fielder, so it might have left town with him.
In the two games I saw, the Brewers' announcers really made it a point to say Morgan has toned down the clowning this year. I'm guessing the 0-for-8 he put up this weekend preempted his antics anyway.

don.rob11 wrote:

Lance Lynn was super out there today.....

I thought he offered little of McCellan and that it was stupid to remove him from the bullpen.  Yesterdday I was wrong.  I hope to be wrong many more times.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"- The bullpen could be a concern. McClellan, Marte and Romero are concerns. They should have non-tendered McClellan and picked up Dotel's option"

Sanchez will solve the problems from the right side. I'm not sure what they do about the left side. But if Romero keeps throwing the ball down the middle, he's not going to last very long.

I hope Sanchez helps.  I also hope Salas starts getting used more in the setup role.  I know they were sizable leads but putting in Boggs and McCellan isnt going to work.